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Accessibility around Clapham Junction: can do better

I find it quite shocking that Blacks have just undergone a major refit and ignoring any access for wheelchair users and people with buggies.

Outdoor Clothes Blacks’ entrance in St John’s Rd

For Clapham Junction station, it is brilliant to have lift access to all platforms and this has transformed wheelchair users in accessing rail transport. It is equally illogical that there is no information for wheelchair users or people with buggies or heavy luggage to go to Brighton Yard for step-free access.

Photo looking west. No sign of any information for wheelchair users. February 2014.

Photo looking east. No sign of any information for wheelchair users. February 2014.

The only downside of using Brighton Yard entrance is to go up St John’s Hill over a cobbled-stone pathway. Cobble-stones present another problem for wheelchair users.

UPDATE 23/02/14: We have received the following tweet from Blacks:

@c_j_a_g@SW_Trains Hello, a ramp is available upon request, but it is something we are including into new shop fits going forward.

2 thoughts on “Accessibility around Clapham Junction: can do better”

The first photo (outside Blacks) shows the mess that Thames Water have started to make of the new streetscene. The engineer who dug up the pavement informed me that there is no readily accessible stop cock access for parts of the road so expect to see more holes in the pavement filled in with tarmac. Surely Thames Water/ the Council should remediate this?

There is a duty to reinstate to the original condition but the work has to be done by the council or its contractors at the cost of the utility. A temporary repair has to be done by the utility. As I now live abroad it is the first time since I have seen the new paving. Frankly I think it is HIDEOUS and far inferior to the York stone that adorned the area 25 years ago and was sold by the council. What is worse ten to one that the stone for the new paving was imported from Spain, China or somewhere else. It’s a fad. Have these stones been tested for wear, slipperyness and frost resistence?